Secondary succession

biology

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Secondary succession follows a major disturbance, such as a fire or a flood. The stages of secondary succession are similar to those of primary succession; however, primary succession always begins on a barren surface, whereas secondary succession begins in environments that already possess soil. In addition, through a process called old-field succession, farmland that has been abandoned may undergo secondary succession.

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The process of ecological succession that follows a disturbance.

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developmental communities

...lifeless areas—regions in which the soil is incapable of sustaining life as a result of such factors as lava flows, newly formed sand dunes, or rocks left from a retreating glacier. Secondary succession occurs in areas where a community that previously existed has been removed; it is typified by smaller-scale disturbances that do not eliminate all life and nutrients from the...

ecological disturbance

...following the retreat of the ice sheets in North America and Eurasia, plants invaded, and a biological recovery was initiated across regions that once had been incapable of sustaining life. In
secondary succession, which follows a disturbance in an area with existing communities of organisms, biological remnants (such as buried seeds) survive, and the recovery process begins sooner. The...

ecological succession

...lifeless areas—regions in which the soil is incapable of sustaining life as a result of such factors as lava flows, newly formed sand dunes, or rocks left from a retreating glacier. Secondary succession occurs in areas where a community that previously existed has been removed; it is typified by smaller-scale disturbances that do not eliminate all life and nutrients from the...

plant geography

...influenced by the fires that have swept grasslands throughout time. Disturbances such as clearings for agriculture, fires, diseases, and storms severe enough to open gaps in a forest may start
secondary successional changes that also reestablish the normal vegetation for that climatic zone.